2019 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc
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Tasting notes
69% Sauvignon Blanc, 31% Sémillon. The 25th vintage of this wine. Aromas of fresh blossoms and spice smell of Turkish delight. These carry into the palate with a stronger spice presence emerging in the mouth. There is currently a little more nuance and subtlety to the 2019 vintage, but it also feels as if it is in a slightly introspective phase. Allow this vintage plenty of air upon opening. The balance of rich flavour to mouth-watering acidity hits pleasantly alongside a silken mouthfeel that adds to the overall experience of the wine. A standout. (ECB)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Dried apple, pear skin, herbs, lemon and cedar on the nose. Itâs medium-to full-bodied with bright acidity and tight, textured layers. Concentrated and focused with a long, toasty and balanced finish. 69% sauvignon blanc and 31% semillon. Drink or hold.
One of the best Bordeaux Blanc blends coming out of Washington, the 2019 Chaleur Blanc checks in as 69% Sauvignon Blanc and 31% Semillon that was barrel fermented and aged in 60% new oak. Honeyed grapefruit, white flowers, sappy, green herbs, and a kiss of minerality all define the bouquet, and this beauty is medium-bodied, with a beautifully balanced, concentrated mouthfeel and a great finish. It ranks with the top examples of this cuvée I've tasted. Delille can always be counted on to deliver classic, impeccably made wines, and they have done exceptionally well in 2018. They also pull from multiple regions, so it’s such a great education tasting through these wines when trying to understand a vintage. Their Red Mountain releases seem to be the stars of the show in 2018, but there are no dogs in this lineup. The icing on the cake is that they’re generally made in decent quantities, especially their D2 release, which is a year-in, year-out terrific Bordeaux blend.
Pale bright yellow. Subtle oak spices complement but also partly mask ripe scents of lemon zest, white stone fruits and damp rock. Intensely flavored and seriously rich but firm and youthfully under wraps. The spicy quality intensifies the citrus, white peach and fresh hay flavors and carries the very long, bracing finish. As young as this is today, the spicy oak sweetness gives it some early appeal, and the wine shows no edges. But it would be a shame not to hold onto it for at least a year or two, as my experience with this bottling (see my vertical tasting published on Vinous in January of this year) suggests it routinely evolves gracefully for a decade or more in a properly cool cellar. (the 25th vintage for what I consider to be Washington State's top white wine)